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For Google's Android 5.0, L stands for Lollipop

Google unveils the name of the latest version of Android, which was previously referred to as "L."

Roger Cheng Former Executive Editor / Head of News
Roger Cheng (he/him/his) was the executive editor in charge of CNET News, managing everything from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative packages. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade and got his start writing and laying out pages at a local paper in Southern California. He's a devoted Trojan alum and thinks sleep is the perfect -- if unattainable -- hobby for a parent.
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Roger Cheng

Google's obsession with sweets continues with Android 5.0, now officially known as Lollipop.

lollipop-forest.jpg
Google continues its sugary naming scheme for its version of the Android operating system, officially christening the new release Lollipop. Google

The latest version of the Android operating system, which was previewed at the company's Google I/O event in June, was officially launched Wednesday. Over the past few months, Android 5.0 has been known as Android L.

Google has long used treats as a naming scheme for its version of Android, going in alphabetical order. They include Frozen Yogurt (Froyo), Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, Jelly Bean, KitKat and now Lollipop.

The company on Wednesday unveiled three devices, the Nexus 9 tablet, Nexus 6 smartphone and Nexus Player streaming-media box, which will be the first products to run on Lollipop.

Lollipop arrives as Google tries to take more control of Android, the most widely used operating system in the world for smartphones and tablets, with 80 percent market share, according to IDC. By comparison, Apple's iOS, which powers iPhones and iPads, has around 17 percent of the market.

While popular, Android is heavily fragmented, with many users still on older versions of the OS. The company's Android One initiative is designed to get consumers on the latest version of Android, bringing a more consistent experience.

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